"Commander Renna, of course," he says, nodding slightly as though he’s impressed. "Heard a lot about you."
That's never good. Not when it comes to me. "I see. You are?"
"Obsidian," he says, a smirk on his familiar sculpted lips. I think I've met him before. His defined jawline is familiar. Everything about him seems familiar, in fact, especially the arrogant expression on his face.
"Wow...wow. Congratulations on having the best name I've ever heard. Obsidian? Why didn't my parents namemeObsidian?"
He lets out a happy laugh and it’s refreshing, a drink of cool water in the desert of sadness and desolation that surrounds us. "And congratulations to you on capturing the heart of the ice-cold Forest King," he adds, with a boyish grin.
"What? How do you know—how do you...who's told you things?"
"I have eyes and ears everywhere. No one moves on this earth without my permission."
I frown. "King Rexxan says that all the time."
"I'm well aware, Commander."
"Well...I'm not sure if I've captured his heart so much as he's just realised that sex with me is as good as his life could possibly get. You know him?"
"I'm his son."
Oh,no. I should not be allowed out in public unsupervised. My hand covers my mouth, but it’s too late. "Obsidian. Ob-sidi-an.Siddie. Shit. Oh, no." I clasp my hands on my cheeks, mortified. "That makes what I just said really inappropriate, doesn't it?"
A loud throaty laugh escapes him, his head thrown back. He grins at me, a hand stroking the stubble on his jaw. "A little, but it's fine. I think of my father as a friend, so I'll get over it. I have to say, he doesn't usually go for women below four foot tall."
What the fuck?Hugeexaggeration, and he's into my bad books already. "I am tall!" I protest, outraged. For a sorceress, I am bloody tall. Another loud laugh. He's a very cheerful person, I notice, despite looking exactly like his grumpy father. "Oh, no. This is not how meeting Rexxan's son was supposed to go," I mumble, twisting my foot in the dirt.
He beams down at me as if very much enjoying our exchange. "How was it supposed to go?"
"I'd introduce myself, we’d have some awkward dinner as a three, you'd be skeptical and standoffish, and you wouldn't think I'd be good enough for your father. Then with my unexplainable charm, I'd win you over and you'd slowly accept your father's love for me."
"And we'll all live happily ever after?" He adds, smothering his laughter with a huge, tattooed hand. Of course this is Rexxan's son. No one would be this size unless they too were related to the gods.
"Exactly! Now you're getting it." I shake my head, the realisation of what has just happened slamming into me like a tidal wave. "Oh my word, Obsidian, you're alive! He's been worried sick!"
Grief is making me slow. He's alive. Siddie. Is. Alive. I beckon over some guards to help start unloading his boat.
Obsidian walks beside me, slowing his long strides to remain level with me as I try and find Rex. I spot him standing at the water’s edge, a frown on his face as he speaks to some of the healers. His arms are crossed across his chest, his stance widened a little. His serious gaze focuses on Aanen, a dark strand of hair escaping and cutting across a piercing eye. Every inch of him is carved from marble, his presence heavy in the air around us. I know that he’s a lucky man to have me, but I’m one hell of a lucky woman to have him too.
I point a finger at him and Siddie follows it with his eyes, spotting his father. He shouts something in a language I don't know and Rexxan's head snaps to his right, his eyes landing on his son.
He doesn't even leave the spot, just squats down towards the floor with his face covered by his hands, utterly overcome with relief.
Chapter41
Enemies to Lovers (Rexxan)
Relief.
I've felt it before, of course, but I don't think I've ever felt it to the extent that I feel it at this very moment. It washes over me in a restorative wave as my eyes connect with the achingly familiar ice-blue ones that belong to my son.
Siddie beams and bounds over to me like an excitable puppy, pulling me back up to standing and giving me the same adoring hug he always has. "Dad,” he whispers, squeezing me tighter.
"Siddie, where in the name of ever-loving fuck have you been?" I manage to ask, through the lump in my throat. My eyes are closed as I embrace him back with equal force, one hand on the back of his head.He's alive.
"Clingy, much?" He replies, his voice muffled by my shoulder.For fucks sake. "I've missed you."
I hold Obsidian's chin in my hand and turn his face left and right to look at a deep cut across his jawline, the same way I do to Rennalya when I'm worried about her. "You're hurt."
